As of Thursday, 77.61 million mu (5.17 million hectares) of arable land in Henan, Anhui, Shandong and Inner Mongolia have been suffering drought conditions, according to a statement on the website of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The drought has also left 4.28 million people and 4.85 million heads of livestock in Yunnan, Hubei and Inner Mongolia short of drinking water, the statement said.

The Yellow River and Huai River regions, including parts of Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Shaanxi, have received below-average rainfall since the beginning of June, disrupting agricultural production in those areas.

The drought relief authority called on local governments to intensify drought relief efforts and take measures to minimize the extreme weather's effects on the farming industry, according to the statement.